Reconnecting...

When I went to Africa, I remember thinking how wonderfully strange it was to be in Africa, where I was born, the home I'd never really known. And it made sense. Deon even said "Africa is in your blood!" and I agree whole heartedly because deep down inside I know Africa is a part of who I am. That means a lot, especially to this little girl, who's moved quite a bit in her lifetime and doesn't always know where to say home is.

Now, in strange change of heart kind of situation, I find myself longing to reconnect to my home of fifteen years, Labrador. The circumstances which caused out move from there seven years ago were, well, less than desirable. My father lost he job very unexpectedly just over a year before I graduated high school, and again, the whole situation was a little messy. It generated lot of hurt and anger within my family. I won't air the dirty laundry, but because of this I began to associate a bitter taste in my mouth Lab West.

Furthermore, as I grew up, I noticed that who I was when I was there was less than desirable as well. I was downright mean at times - mean enough to allow myself to turn my back on my very own sister because she wasn't one of the "cool kids" and I desperately wanted nothing more than to be accepted. And, yes, I am aware that this is something that is very much associated with being a teenager, but all the same... Moving on from there gave me perspective on my selfish tendencies and the thought of going back was scary because it meant facing my ugly self.

Furthermore, there is a part of me that always felt isolated and boxed in by being in a small town. Maybe it was because my mother never failed to remind me that there was a whole big world out there, and not to rule out any possibilities. Maybe it just comes down to the fact that I I don't have that inherent tie to Wabush now because my family has moved and most of my friends too. I guess that's why it's so strange to me now to want to get back in touch with my "home".

Mostly, I find myself missing the people. There are so many great people in Labrador West that I cut myself off from 1) because I'm really, really bad at staying in touch and 2) because it was hard to stay in touch because I wanted to move forward and I selfishly thought that Lab West was going to hold me back. (NB: To any of you great friends, please accept a heartfelt apology - you are still wonderful).

Lately, mostly through the wonders of My Space, I've managed to reconnect with a lot of these people from home. It's great! I'm even making new friends with people that I only kinda sorta knew back then. Plus, I'm actually considering going back to visit at some point once I get back in touch with some of my friend who are there. And I'm really excited about this prospect. I miss the woods, I miss the water, I miss the feeling of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Maybe there's more Labrador in me than I thought.

p.s. Thank you to Larry Jenkins, Glen Benson and Mary Jacobs for their awesome photos.